Panel for box type vehicle bodies



Feb. 5, 1952 H. E. KRUGER PANEL FOR BOX TYPE VEHICLE BODIES Filed March 27, 1947 NVENTOR.

Patented Feb. 5, 1952 EDR'BQX'ITYPE VEHICLEBQDIES HenrwE. Kruger; Galion, Ohio; assignomtol'llief PerfectitmsteetodwCompanys: Galion; kQhib-- azeorporatiomothio Application-Marclr27, 1947; lSerial l1J'.-.737;551-^` orepiatformfor bodyconvertibilitfromaonentypet to` that f off' another.v

Azrobjecti of ithe invention-:is i tcprovilzie;l at; bloisI type oft bodyfl ior'-i a'L cargo carrying vehielet off simple",A durableL andlllow: cost'-.constmction;., with1 the= wallssof thewb'oxreaoh asfa: paneli off-1' sheet" 103imet-ail having:y its Aupperslongitudinai endhentfz-to? rimy therI same andi? a. lateral; flange coextensiverv withtheiflowerdongitudinalendztofextendiinwardr of-ith'erbcie.thepnangeofiarmshapefinacrossseation' to-stabilizeifbotlrntliefpanelcancbthefzangf Anothenobject:isst@:prolvideamoietypeevehicle body ywith: the' walls oftthezboxf each-constituting, awsheet metai panel havingsstakessxed thereon?l and laterally thereof for removably installing andlsustaining thee panel in an erect position 20.-

upon the platformfthebodl.the lower longitudinal end ofthepanell'aterallyanged to extend a inward" on ther body: the; flanges on curved form in cross section with itssfree-r endi leading. downwardlytoimpingingly bear; uponffthe platform when the panel is installed' upon and anchored to the platform.l

Variousother-featuresandi advantagesr of? the invention:willbemore'fullywset'forth and iapparent-fromthe followi-ngfdescription of a preferred embodiment* as illustrated by-r=the drawings: acccmpanyingv andm forming' et part of thi'sspecication;- infwhieh:

Figure 1" is aperspective view-.of a sections of the-improved vehicle cargo carrying boxr-typeiof body.

Figure is an enlarged vertical section through alsidefpanel thereof. 1

Figure 3` is an elevation of'a portion of'one` or rear end of the body, partly in section.

Figure 4 is a section on line 4, 4, Figure 3.

The present invention is directed specifically to the siding or panels for forming a box type of vehicle body, the panels removably mounted upon a platform as a base of bottom of the body, to render the body convertible from a receptacle type to a flat or other type. The platform may be of conventional construction and as its structure forms no part of the present invention. complete illustration and detail description thereof is herein omitted except as may be pertinent to fully and clearly exemplify the application of the siding or panels to convert the body to a receptacle type.

Referring to the drawings the platform, pref- 2i erably, is-composedofa pair of? side rails,- one respectivelyvfor eachv of? the Aopposite longitudinal sidesof the-platform; The side rails I are'of dnplioatesoonstructionand-each rail is of crosssectional shape= for interengagingly receiving a.

relative@ endiof each of" a plurality of determinately- Y'spaced -bolsters 2, extending cross-wise.-

of'l thex platformand-J permanently fixed` to the` side'rails;l The bolsters; preferably are of "channel form in crosssection-and support thef'ooring of the platform, which followingy the generalpracticeconsists of" woo'd boards orplanks 3, adoininglyarranged i longitudinally of v-the--plat form andi-fixedl to the f bolst'ers.`

Therbolsters; foreachof the opposite end'slofv the-platform; eachliasfitsweb portion outward inregis-trygwith" theL` relative endsr of the' side railsand itsrouterplane surface flush with a relativer endofftiieflooring-which--is capped by an angle bar-or-rail` 4'; weldedorf otherwise fixed` to the top; sidevofrthe bolster upon which it is superposed The siderails: preferably are ofeross-sectional shape'ofchannelform; each having a-web por- `tion'xanda.pair of*opposite flanges 6 and 1' integrallyjjoining-'-with they web. The web provides an outer= facing ors edges forthe -platform withthe flange 6 extending at right angles therefrom in'plane` with theltop, or upper side of the platform; Tl'iei web'.v at'its juncture with the flange 61 isfrolled"v to provide an outwardly extending corrugntion orridgegreinforcing and increasing therlgidity off'th'e rail and serves as a rub rail.

Each offth'e, opposite ends' of the raiLKrespeetively-iscappedIbyA a plate 8; welded thereto and civerl'yingl theA relative outer, side of anv end b'ol'Ster.;

'lliieiangeJI-'fontheebottom.side ofe'the rail is of off-set form in cross section, the v offisetl extending inwardly of the channel of the rail, providing a sill or ledge longitudinally of the rail, for supporting an end of each of the bolsters 2. The off-setting of the flange 'I provides a shoulder in parallelism with the web and channels the flange longitudinally for the full length of the rail for socketing and laterally confining the end of each stake 9, as employed for supporting a side panel. projecting into the rail through a slot or opening in the top flange 6 of the rail.

The panels l0 for the box type of body, as opposite side and end panels, are formed of sheet metal. each removably mounted and perpendicularly sustained by the stakes 9 of the necessary number required for each panel, which respecthe rear end panel of the box'e'xtends inward toV accommodate for a sliding door, as a closure fora discharge opening with which the rear panel is usually equipped.

The lower end of each of the panels longitudii nally is bent at right angles to provide a flange I2 to extend inwardly of the box of the body for the length of the panel and is of arc or curved form in cross-section with its outer end directed downwardly to be compressively engaged upon the portion of the flooring of the platform whichit overlies. The curved cross-sectional form of the flange I2 adds stability thereto lengthwise thereof and has a reach slightly beyond the end of the flange 6, of the side rail of the platform which it overlies, or the capping rail 4 covering an end of the flooring boards for contact with the ooring boards. As the outer free end of the iiange I2 extends slightly below the line of the bend at the juncture with the body of the panel it is brought into compressive contact upon the flooring in anchoring the panel to the platform, as by bolts mounted upon the outer side of the panel which for the side panels have a coupling connection with the side rails of the platform and for the end panels with stake brackets on the outer side of the end bolsters. The type of side rails as disclosed provide for socketing the stakes therein by engagement through an aperture in the upper flange 6, the anchoring bolts traversing the side rail ai; a stake aperture of which an excess number is provided. As various methods are ernployed for anchoring the panels to the platform specific disclosure need not be made herein, it being also obvious that the same result can be accomplished with some types of stake locks.

The opposite ends I3 of the flange I2 for each of the end panels are curved longitudinally to overlap a relative end of the base vflange of the side panels.

It is desirable to clamp the end boards of the flooring along their longitudinal margins engaged beneath the flange 6 of the side rails by bolts traversing the flange and the top flanges of the holsters, as illustrated in Figure 2, with the bolt heads expo-sel to the upper side of the platform. The radius of the flange I2 of the side panel therefore is such as to afford clearance for the bolt heads without interference to the free end of the base fiange of the panel to be compressively engaged with the ooring board which it overlles. This eliminates any indenting or aperturing of the flange, nor is it necessary that the spacing of the bolsters be at precision measurement apart.

The side and end panels can be readily installed upon or removed from the platform for` converting the body from a flat platform or bed type and vice versa. In the assemblyof the panels upon the'platform the side panels arerst installed, whereupon the end panels are inserted in place and generally locked to the side panels at their rims. vThe, side panels at each of their ends are protected by a plate III for` the heighth of the panel, preferably welded thereto and which extends slightly beyond the inner` side thereof to provide'an overlapping abutment for a relative end of an endpanel to confine the same against outward movement.

Having described my invention, I claim:

A box type of body for a cargo carrying vehicle, comprising a platform, sheet metal panels sustained and anchored, one respectively on each of the opposite sides and forward end margins of the platform to provide the walls for a box type of vehicle body, each panel having its lower longitudinal end laterally flanged, the fiange extending inwardly of the box and bearing upon the platform, of arc form in cross-section to channel the underside for its full Width with the free end thereof vleading downwardly beyond the plane of the 'junction of the ange with the body of the panel to impingingly bear upon the platform when the panel is installed and anchored to the platform, the channel defining a space between its terminals at'its opposite longitudinal sides which bear upon the platform for the reception of securing means protruding from the upper surface of the platform in a row linear of the channel.

HENRY E. KRUGER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

